[Luis Gonzalez]

That's funny, I see the flaw as being the other half of the sentence. I see theocracies as being more likely to abuse the rights of the people.

[muawiyah]

Regarding theocracies, at the moment the world may have two or three. Over the last 1000 years there really haven't been many of them. A quick examination of the situation reveals that three nations alone, none of which were theocracies, have accounted for most of the oppression and terror deaths over that period. They are Red China, USSR and the Third Reich.

Having said that, let's see what your evidence is for your statement that theocracies are more likely (than what) to abuse the people.

[Uncle Miltie]

Agreed. Fatal flaws abound in the Islamic world-view. Too bad for the average Joe, since the wrath of civilization is gonna crash down around his ears.

[SarahW]

If the first is untrue, the second is also untrue.

Of course you can not create a perfect society with Shar'ia, nor a "new soviet man" by breaking down the interests of the individual, etc. etc.

Man is not inherently good.
Government that checks its own power and reconizes the inalienable rights of individual men maximizes good.

[ggekko]

This article is misguided because it looks for a deep theological explanation for Bin Laden. A more compelling explanation is found in recent history.

All of the Governments in the Arabian peninisula are infected to a greater or lesser degree with a form of Islamo-Facism. This poisonous ideology was invented by the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem in the period between WWI and WWII. This ideology combines elements of National Socialism with Pan Arbaic ideas.

The grip of Islamo-Facism is strongest in those Islamic countries with significant oil revenues. This dynamic is seen very clearly in the case of Iraq. Iraq is an old adminsitrative area of the Ottoman Empire. After the collapse of the Ottomans the British set up Iraq as a country basically to guard the Mosul and Kirkuk oil fields. Iraq as a country had no other rationale other than guarding two oil fields.

After the British left the Middle East in the 1960s Saddam emerged as the most ruthless strongman in Iraq. Since oil was Iraq's only viable export national power became synonymous with controlling the flow of oil. Once Saddam had attained control of the oil he began setting up a society along Facist lines since he needed no popular sanction as long as he controlled the oil. Saddam's terror apparatus and militarization if Iraq insure that Iraq is ideally suited for repression at home and agression abroad. To a large extent Iran and Syria are organized along similar lines.

It is clear to see that along as Islamo-Facism and Pan Arabism are the dominant ideas in the Arab world there can be no peace. Bin Laden is a largely a foonote to the Pan Arabic movement in the Arba peninsula.

The transformation of Iraq from Islamo-Facism into something more benign will be the most potent answer to Bin Laden-ism. Not only will Bin Laden be deprived of basing areas but the idea that Arabs must unite into a single state in Arabia in order to prosper will have been belied.